Shower stretchers, generally have a platform onto which a patient can be transferred and a trough or similar arrangement is provided around the patient to provide both a water container and splash guard. A patient supported by the platform can then be showered. A drain is located in a depression within the platform to discharge water.
The shower stretcher saves nurses and attendants much heavy lifting when transferring patients from their beds or wheelchairs prior to and after showering. It also allows the attendant to bath a patient at a working height that is more convenient than the conventional bath. The shower stretcher therefore has useful application for long-stay patients in surgical, medical and orthopaedic wards and almost general application for geriatric patients.
The invention provides an improved stretcher for use in bathing patients.